Imphal, Aug 7: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday said that women are the pioneers of the state’s handloom sector, with around 95 per cent of handloom producers being women and the remaining five per cent men. State Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the Chief Minister attended the 12th National Handloom Day celebration at the City Convention Centre in Imphal. The Chief Minister further said that on August 7, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the annual observance of National Handloom Day in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He added that most handloom products are used by women and encouraged men also to use handloom products. The winners of the Best Cluster Designer Award for Home Furnishing at the National Handloom Designers’ Conclave 2026 were also felicitated.